Method for assembling a stack or a collection consisting of single or multilayered pre-products that lie freely one on top of the other, compositions of such pre-products, and applicator for producing such compositions

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a method for assembling a stack ( 10 ) consisting of single or multilayered pre-products ( 1115 ) of equal or different sizes, said pre-products lying freely one on top of the other, wherein the stack ( 10 ) has two outer pre-products ( 11, 15 ). According to the method, the stack ( 10 ) is given a cohesion that facilitates later handling. The cohesion is achieved in a very simple and flexibly applicable manner by providing the slack ( 10 ) to be assembled in a first step, said stack consisting of pre-products ( 11 - 15 ) that lie freely one on top of the other, and by attaching at least one connecting element ( 17 ) to an edge ( 16 ) of the stack ( 10 ) in a second step such that said element overlaps the two outer pre-products ( 11, 15 ) of the stack ( 10 ) in a clamping manner.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the area of the further processing ofpre-products (in particular printed products within the framework of thefinishing process). It concerns a method for assembling a stack or acollection consisting of single-layered or multi-layered pre-productsthat lie freely one on top of the other as claimed in the preamble ofclaim 1. It also concerns compositions of such pre-products generated asclaimed in said method as claimed in the preamble of claim 27 and anapplicator as claimed in the preamble of claim 41.

2. Discussion of Related Art

Nowadays advertising means in the form of pre-products, such asbrochures, flyers, catalogues, handouts, direct-mail advertising, butalso product samples, CDs etc. are increasingly distributed directly byspecial services. In this case, advertising means from various suppliersare frequently combined and distributed together in order to keep thedistributing costs down. The advertising means or pre-productsdistributed together then form a stack of (individual) separate copieswhich lie freely one on top of the other and have to be put together byhand by the distributor in each case at the site of the delivery. Thistype of composition, however, is time-consuming and susceptible toerrors such that either certain advertising means are included severaltimes in the formed stacks or are omitted completely.

The term stacks refers here, in principle, to compositions ofpre-products which lie one on top of the other and are held together bythe force of gravity. If the pre-products are aligned in another spatialorientation, for example lying vertically side by side, they arereferred to here as a collection. The invention relates to suchdifferent types of compositions of pre-products.

However, it is also conceivable for the stacks consisting ofpre-products to be formed at a central location and then supplied fordistribution. In this case, during distribution the pre-products caneasily slip inside the stack or the stacks can become mixed up if nospecific measures are taken to hold the individual stacks together andto define them in relation to one another.

Thus it is possible, for example, to provide the formed stack consistingof advertising means or pre-products with a welded foil wrapping to holdthe stack together and to define it in relation to other stacks. Suchadditional packaging of the stack simplifies the distributionconsiderably, however causes relevant additional expenditure and, whereapplicable, is unwanted from an ecological viewpoint. Over and abovethis, the welded foil bags can only be opened by the final consumer in alaborious manner and the overall impression is not particularlyaesthetic depending on the material.

However, the stacks can also be strapped or bundled in another manner,for example by means of a covering. Thus, it would be possible, forexample, to combine the stack of pre-products with a wrapper as isknown, for example, from document CH 461 248. In this respect, however,to a great extent the same disadvantages as mentioned above areproduced.

In addition, it is known from document EP 0 666 186 A1 to insertpre-products into a folded newspaper which then functions as a coveringfor the inserted pre-products and is subsequently closed by means of oneor several adhesive strips (see also WO 2007/067325 A2). To this end,either the preparation of a newspaper is necessary or the preparation ofa separate covering which, in turn, increases expenditure considerably.

Finally, it is known (U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,176) to separate individualpart stacks of sheets from other part stacks in a larger overall stackby placing non-adhesive paper strips (columns 1, lines 58-62) asseparating strips around an edge of the respective part stack. This isto prevent displacement of the separating strips, which otherwise areplaced flatly between two part stacks. Said type of non-connectingseparating strips is only suitable for the separation inside the overallstack as the separating strips immediately fall off if a part stack isconveyed as it is or is handled individually in any other manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is, consequently, an object of the invention to provide a genericmethod which, in a particularly simple manner, makes possible thecohesion of a stack or of a collection consisting of single-layered ormulti-layered pre-products of the same or different sizes that liefreely one on top of the other, in such a manner that the stack or thecollection is able to be conveyed and handled as it is in a reliablemanner and is able to be separated again easily into the individualpre-products.

In addition, it is an object of the invention to create correspondingcompositions of such pre-products which can be easily handled anddifferentiated between. A further goal of the invention is to createsuch compositions in a cost-efficient manner.

It is finally an object of the invention to provide an applicator forproducing such a composition.

The objects are achieved by claims 1, 27 and 41.

The method as claimed in the invention for assembling a stack consistingof single-layered or multi-layered pre-products that lie freely one ontop of the other or a collection consisting of single-layered ormulti-layered pre-products that lie freely side by side, in particularprinted products, of the same or a different size, which stack or whichcollection has two pre-products lying on the outside, during whichmethod the stack or the collection is given a cohesion that facilitatesthe subsequent handling is characterized in that in a first step thepre-products associated with the stack or with the collection areprepared, and that in a second step at least one connecting element ismounted in such a manner that it overlaps the two outside pre-productsof the stack or of the collection in an adhesive manner.

The term stacks here refers in principle to compositions of pre-productswhich lie one on top of the other and are held together by the force ofgravity. If the pre-products are aligned in a different spatialorientation, for example lying vertically side by side, they arereferred to here as a collection. The invention relates to suchdifferent types of compositions of pre-products.

With regard to the comprehension of the invention, it must be pointedout that, differently to the case of other adhesive connections ofprinted products, this one is oriented to the aforementionedpre-products within the framework of a continually running furtherprocessing operation or an overall logistic process. These formautonomous finished units both with regard to content and format whichare re-used again individually and separately by the end consumer. Up tonow in the prior art they have been handled individually within theframework of further processing.

In the case of a development of the method as claimed in the invention,in the first step the pre-products associated with the stack or with thecollection are prepared in the form of the stack or of the collection.The stack or the collection, in this case, is already present infinished form when they are provided with the connecting element.

An alternative development is characterized in that in the second steponly the two outside pre-products are connected and form an openablepocket, and that in a third step the remaining pre-products are insertedinto the opened formed pocket to realize the stack or the collection. Inthis case, the complete stack or the complete collection is not produceduntil the connecting element has already been applied.

In principle, the connecting element can overlap the two outsidepre-products on their outside or on their inside. A preferreddevelopment of the method as claimed in the invention is characterizedin that the at least one connecting element overlaps the two outsidepre-products of the stack or of the collection in an adhesive manner ineach case on the outside. The mounting of the connecting element issimplified in this way.

If, as an alternative to this, the at least one connecting elementoverlaps the two outside pre-products of the stack or of the collectionin an adhesive manner in each case on the inside, the appearance of theoutside pre-products remains practically unimpaired. However, care mustbe taken to ensure that the connecting element has the necessary,sufficiently strong adhesive characteristics on the corresponding side.

Another development of the method as claimed in the invention ischaracterized in that the pre-products of the stack or of the collectioneach have at least one preferred edge, that the pre-products of thestack or of the collection are arranged and aligned in the stack or inthe collection in such a manner that the preferred edges of thepre-products together form a stack edge, and that said stack edge isused for mounting the at least one connecting element.

Such edges at which the pre-products are folded and/or stitched and/orglued can be taken, in particular, as the preferred edges of thepre-products. If all the pre-products of the stack or of the collectionhave a folded edge, said pre-products can be stacked with the foldededges lying one on top of the other or lying side by side such that thestack edge, on which the connecting element is mounted, consists of justfolded edges. However, it is also conceivable to arrange some of thepre-products with their folded edge on the opposite side in order toachieve a more uniform stack height.

As claimed in another development of the invention, several connectingelements are mounted longitudinally of the selected stack edge on thestack or on the collection overlapping the two outside pre-products ofthe stack or of the collection. As a result, expenditure is certainlyincreased, but the cohesion of the stack or of the collection isincreased because shear forces, which cause the pre-products to rotatein the stack or in the collection toward one another, can be betterabsorbed. This is advantageous in particular with a stack or acollection with many heavy and superficially smooth pre-products.

It is, however, also conceivable within the framework of the inventionto mount several connecting elements on several selected stack edges onthe stack or the collection overlapping the two outside pre-products ofthe stack or of the collection.

A development of the method as claimed in the invention is distinguishedin that an adhesive strip is used as a connecting element. The termadhesive strip refers in this context to a strip of suitable materialsuch as, for example, paper or plastic foil or plastic film which isprovided at least on one side in part or totally with an adhesive layer.The adhesive strip is provided with such an adhesive layer at thepositions where it overlaps the pre-products in an adhesive manner. Inthis case, a fugitive adhesive or peelable adhesive (peel glue), which,when the stack is subsequently taken apart, makes it possible to removethe connecting element or the adhesive strip in a simple manner, areconsidered here above all as the adhesive. Adhesive strips of paper areused in a preferred manner also for ecological reasons as they are ableto be disposed of directly together with the pre-products of paper. Inthis case, the local arrangement of the adhesive strips as claimed inthe invention is to be given particular attention such that the outsidepre-products are not impaired disadvantageously with regard toprint/read regions.

The adhesive strip is realized in particular in an elongated manner andhas a constant width. As a result, it can be simply pulled off a rolland assembled for the application. The elongated form makes itpossible—if the adhesive strip is applied with its longitudinaldirection at right angles with respect to the stack edge—to overlap theouter pre-products in a sufficiently deep manner, at the same time usinga small amount of material, which plays a considerable role inparticular where there are large quantities within the million range inthe printed product stacks.

A further preferred embodiment of the invention uses adhesive stripswhich have a multi-layered structure. In this case it is possible forthe adhesive strip to be applied per se in a double-layered ormulti-layered manner to the collection, or also for the respectiveadhesive strip portions to be removed from a support material at thedesired length and applied to the collection. Within the framework ofmulti-layeredness, particular requirements for specific collections canalso be taken into account. Thus it is possible to combine atear-resistant layer with a highly printable layer or, for example, toapply a separately removable layer together with a carrier layer. Theremovable layer, in this case, can additionally fulfill particular taskssuch as, for example, serving as a medium for publicity content or alsoinformation content (e.g. codes or color identification).

It is, however, conceivable for the adhesive strip to have a width whichchanges over the length, in particular a narrowing in a central region.Such a narrowing can save on tape material on the one hand and on theother hand, a correspondingly formed narrowing in place of a perforationcan facilitate the subsequent separation of the adhesive strip when thestack is taken apart. All possible corners on the outside of theadhesive strip should be rounded off on the outside for reducing therisk of unintentional tearing.

The adhesive strip is particularly simple to assemble and mount if ithas an adhesive layer continuing in the longitudinal direction becausethen it does not have to be adjusted to the stack edge. Over and abovethis, the continuous adhesive layer can also contribute to fixing thecentral pre-products at the edge in the stack and thus to increasingfurther the cohesion in the stack or in the collection.

However, it is also conceivable for the adhesive strip to have anadhesive layer which is interrupted in a central portion and/oradhesive-free or non-adhesive end portions in order to avoid adhesion tothe central pre-products of the stack and/or to facilitate thesubsequent taking apart of the stack. The adhesive-free or non-adhesiveend portions enable the adhesive strips to be gripped simply at theirends in order then to pull them away from the stack or the collection.

Another development of the invention is distinguished in that theadhesive strip has a perforation in the center when viewed in thelongitudinal direction. The perforation makes it possible to tear theadhesive strip in the center without any aids for taking the stack orthe collection apart. The separated halves of the adhesive strip canthen simply remain on the outer pre-products and do not have to beremoved from the pre-products.

When the adhesive strip as claimed in another development of theinvention is prepared by being separated off an adhesive tape, it isadvantageous that to facilitate the separation of the adhesive stripfrom the adhesive tape, the adhesive tape is provided with correspondingnotches or incisions at the separating points. As a result, theapplication process can be accelerated in order to be able to processlarge quantities.

Another development of the method as claimed in the invention ischaracterized in that to facilitate the detaching of the connectingelement, in each case prior to mounting the connecting element, aseparating layer is arranged in the overlapping regions between theconnecting element and the outside pre-products of the stack or of thecollection. If the separating layer consists, for example, of a glued-onfoil with a smooth surface, an applied adhesive strip can be removedeasily and residue-free when the stack or the collection is subsequentlytaken apart. If the separating layer or foil is realized in a colorlessand transparent manner, it only impairs the appearance of the respectiveprinted product slightly.

A further development of the invention is distinguished in that forpreparing the stack to be assembled or the collection to be assembled,the pre-products are placed one on top of the other or side by side in apredetermined sequence one after the other in a collating apparatus. Asa result, a stack or a collection, which can be adapted to the mostvaried of requirements regarding the structure and number and sequenceof the pre-products, is able to be formed in a flexible manner. Asuitable collating apparatus is supplied, for example, by the Applicantunder the name of “Flystream”.

In the collating apparatus, the forming stack or the forming collectionis preferably guided past a plurality of supplying conveyors arrangedone behind the other, wherein the supplying conveyors supply at leastone pre-product in each case to the stack or the collection. If thesupplying conveyors are individually actuatable, the stack forming orcollection forming can be effected in a particularly flexible manner.Suitable supplying conveyors are provided, for example, by the Applicantunder the name of “JedFeeder”.

In this case it is conceivable for the stacks or collections to beprovided in each case with the at least one connecting element in anapplication apparatus at the end of the collating apparatus, as a resultof which a particularly compact arrangement is produced.

In the application apparatus an adhesive tape is preferably unrolledfrom an adhesive tape roll, an adhesive strip is cut off the unrolledadhesive tape and the cut adhesive strip is mounted on the stack guidedpast or on the collection guided past.

The application is effected in a particularly simple manner when thestack or the collection is conveyed through the application apparatuswith the selected stack edge in front, and when the cut adhesive stripis held in readiness at right angles with respect to the conveyingdirection of the stack or of the collection with one adhesive sideoriented against the conveying direction of the stack or the collectionin such a manner that the stack or the collection, during (its)conveying through the application apparatus, contacts and entrains theadhesive strip held in readiness by way of the selected stack edge inthe center. It goes without saying in this case that the aligning of theadhesive strip is effected such that any possible perforations oradhesive-free portions are located in the region of the stack edge.

As claimed in a further development, guide elements, which press theadhesive strip picked up by the stack or the collection in anoverlapping manner against the two outside pre-products of the stack orof the collection, are provided in the application apparatus. As aresult, it is ensured in a simple manner that the adhesive strip abutsin an adhesive manner against the outer pre-products of the stack movedpast or of the collection moved past and ensures the desired cohesion ofthe stack or of the collection.

However, it is also conceivable for the stacks or collections to beconveyed in a conveying apparatus, held in clamps, through a stackconnecting apparatus, and to be provided in each case with the at leastone connecting element in the stack connecting apparatus. In this way,the assembling of the stacks or of the collections can be easilyincorporated into an existing larger system.

The composition as claimed in the invention in the form of a stackconsisting of single-layered or multi-layered pre-products that liefreely one on top of the other or a collection consisting ofsingle-layered or multi-layered pre-products that lie freely side byside, in particular printed products, of the same or a different size,which stack or which collection has two pre-products lying on theoutside, is characterized in that to achieve a cohesion of thepre-products to facilitate the subsequent handling, at least oneconnecting element is mounted on the stack or the collection in such amanner that it overlaps the two outside pre-products of the stack or ofthe collection in an adhesive manner. The term single-layered ormulti-layered pre-products, in this case, also refer to single page ormultiple page pre-products.

A development of the composition as claimed in the invention ischaracterized in that the at least one connecting element overlaps thetwo outside pre-products of the stack or of the collection in anadhesive manner in each case on the outside.

As an alternative to this, the at least one connecting element, however,can overlap the two outside pre-products of the stack or of thecollection in an adhesive manner in each case on the inside such thatthe overlap region is not outwardly visible.

Another development of the composition is characterized in that thepre-products of the stack or of the collection have in each case atleast one preferred edge, that the pre-products of the stack or of thecollection are arranged and aligned in the stack or in the collectionsuch that the preferred edges of the pre-products together form at leastone stack edge, and that the at least one connecting element is mountedon said stack edge.

In particular, several connecting elements can be mounted longitudinallyof the selected stack edge on the stack or on the collection overlappingthe two outside pre-products of the stack or of the collection.

It is, however, also conceivable for several connecting elements to bemounted on several selected stack edges on the stack or the collectionoverlapping the two outside pre-products of the stack or of thecollection.

As claimed in a preferred development of the invention, the connectingelement is an adhesive strip.

The adhesive strip is preferably realized in an elongated manner.

In particular, the adhesive strip has a constant width. It is, however,also conceivable for the adhesive strip to have a width which changesover the length, in particular a narrowing in a central region. Toreduce the risk of unintentional tearing, rounded edge regions orcorners should be provided on the outside of the adhesive strip.

As claimed in another development, the adhesive strip has an adhesivelayer continuing in the longitudinal direction.

To simplify the dismantling of the composition, it can be advantageouswhen the adhesive strip has an adhesive layer which is interrupted in acentral portion and/or adhesive-free or non-adhesive end portions.

However, it can also be advantageous when the adhesive strip has aperforation in the center when viewed in the longitudinal direction.

A further development is distinguished in that to facilitate detachingthe connecting element a separating layer is arranged in each case inthe overlapping regions between the connecting element and the outsidepre-products of the stack or of the collection.

The applicator as claimed in the invention for producing a compositionas claimed in the invention is characterized in that the applicator hasat least two pressing flanks which each act on a side face of thecomposition in a non-positive manner and that the applicator has a freeregion between the pressing flanks, wherein the applicator serves forapplying at least one adhesive strip and the free region during saidapplying operation corresponds at least approximately to the height ofthe composition.

A development of the applicator as claimed in the invention isdistinguished in that the pressing flanks are realized as lateralpressing faces, for example in the form of correspondingly curved guideplates, with regard to which the composition is moved and has a relativespeed. The pressing faces, which are preferably arranged in a stationarymanner, abut and press the adhesive strip against the outside faces ofthe composition moved past. In an alternative embodiment, the pressingfaces, which are arranged in a stationary manner, can be anti-friction,which can be achieved, for example, by a rolling face or a correspondingcoating which reduces the sliding friction.

However, it is also conceivable for the pressing flanks to be realizedas circulating belts which convey the composition between them. As aresult, the conveying of the composition through the apparatus and theapplication of the adhesive strip or strips are combined together in aparticularly simple manner. In place of belts, however, correspondinglyspaced pairs of actively conveying rollers can also be used, thecomposition being guided between said rollers.

In a further preferred embodiment, the applicator is characterized inthat at least one pressing face or rolling face is spatially moveable inrelation to said composition in the direction of the face of thecomposition and can be pushed in over one edge of the composition suchthat at least one adhesive strip is applied on said edge or on theoutside pre-products.

The stacks or collections formed in this manner are greatly advantageousin particular in the case of high speed processes (processing in theorder of magnitude of five, ten or more products per second) or in thecase of complicatedly formed stacks, namely if a precise mutualalignment of the pre-products is significant during the furtherprocessing or if, during a further processing step, the unwantedpossibility of the pre-products of a collection becoming “mixed” withthose of other collections or there is a situation where there-separation of collections lying side by side is problematic.

Precisely when a precise mutual alignment of the pre-products is desiredfor the further processing of the pre-products or of the collection, thepresent solution as claimed in the invention can be supplemented orcombined with an additional adhesive connection between the pre-productsthemselves. A preferred solution of the named type is produced from thefiling on the same day as the present Application by the same Applicantwith the title, “Method for assembling a stack or a collectionconsisting of single-layered or multi-layered pre-products that liefreely one on top of the other and compositions of such pre-products”(Application number: [not yet known]), to which reference is herebyintegrally made.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is to be explained below by way of exemplary embodimentsin conjunction with the drawings, in which, in detail:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a stack with several variously sizedpre-products, said stack being provided according to one exemplaryembodiment of the invention with an adhesive strip on a stack edge;

FIG. 2 shows the stack from FIG. 1, which according to another exemplaryembodiment of the invention is provided with two identical type adhesivestrips spaced apart from one another on the same stack edge;

FIG. 3 shows a stack consisting of identically sized but variously thickpre-products, said stack, according to a further exemplary embodiment ofthe invention, being provided with one adhesive strip as in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows a stack consisting of identically sized and identicallythick pre-products, said stack, according to another exemplaryembodiment of the invention, being held together with one adhesive stripextending in the direction of the edge;

FIG. 5 shows different forms of adhesive strips or connecting elementsfor the method as claimed in the invention, represented side by sidefrom left to right;

FIG. 6 shows an overall view (FIG. 6(a)) and an enlarged detail (FIG.6(b)) of a representation comparable to FIG. 2 of a stack with twoidentical type adhesive strips which are spaced apart from one anotherand have a narrowing in the central region;

FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of a stack of pre-products collected ina holder, said stack having been provided with an adhesive strip in theholder;

FIG. 8 shows the bonded stack from FIG. 1, wherein, as claimed in afurther exemplary embodiment of the invention, a separating layer isarranged in each case under the adhesive strip;

FIG. 9 shows the non-bonded stack consisting of pre-products accordingto FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 shows a side view of the principle design of a stack connectingapparatus for applying adhesive strips according to another exemplaryembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 11 shows the top view from above of a collating apparatus forpreparing and assembling pre-product stacks according to anotherexemplary embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 12 shows an enlarged detail of the application apparatus from thecollating apparatus of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 shows several part figures (a)-(c) of different steps whenapplying the adhesive strips in the application apparatus from FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 shows a possibility for conveying the stacks formed in acollating apparatus to an application apparatus situated at anotherlocation;

FIG. 15 shows a further possibility for conveying the formed stacks;

FIG. 16 shows the forming of a pocket for inserting the remainingpre-products according to another exemplary embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 17 shows the insertion of the remaining pre-products into thepocket formed according to FIG. 16 and consisting of the outsidepre-products; and

FIG. 18 shows a stack according to one exemplary embodiment of theinvention with an adhesive strip which completely overlaps the toppre-product of the stack and is bonded on an inside of the toppre-product with a folded-in end portion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The method as claimed in the invention proceeds from a stack ofpre-products, as is shown in a perspective view in FIG. 9. The stack 10,in this example, includes a total of five pre-products 11, 12, 13, 14and 15. In the example, all the pre-products 11-15 of the stack 10 havea folded edge and are stitched on the folded edge. The pre-products canbe printed products, for example. It goes without saying that within theframework of the invention the pre-products can also have a differentmake-up, function, shape and mutual arrangement.

In the following explanations of the exemplary embodiments, the talkwill always be of stacks, the pre-products having been piled up to formsaid stacks. The term stacks, in this case, refers to compositions ofpre-products which lie one on top of another and are initially heldtogether by the force of gravity. If the compositions are not arrangedlying one on top of another, but are realized lying side by side in adifferent spatial orientation, e.g. aligned vertically, they aredescribed in general as collections. The invention relates to both typesof compositions of pre-products.

The pre-products 11-15 lie in the stack 10 one on top of another asclaimed in the invention such that their folded edges form a commonstack edge 16 of the stack 10. The pre-products 11-15, which can beadvertising leaflets, flyers, but also product samples, CDs or the like,are of different sizes in the example shown. The top printed product 11in FIG. 9 is clearly smaller than the printed product 12 lying beneathit and even smaller than the further pre-products 13-15. Thepre-products 11 and 15 are the outside pre-products of the stack 10.They play a particular role for the method as claimed in the invention.All the pre-products 11-15 are preferably arranged in the stack 10 suchthat they lie symmetrically with respect to a common center line 18. Thesum of the pre-products 11 to 15 forms (in the compressed state) theheight of the stack or of the composition.

Now according to FIG. 1, in the simplest case the cohesion of the stack10, which is otherwise determined only by the weight of the pre-productsand the friction between the pre-products, is considerably improved byan adhesive strip 17 as the connecting element being bonded over thestack edge 16 of the stack 10 such that it overlaps the two outsidepre-products 11 and 15 in an adhesive manner on their outside. Byapplying the adhesive strip 17, the two outside pre-products 11 and 15form, as it were, a pocket in which the remaining (inside) pre-products12-14 lie. If an adhesive strip 17 with a continuous adhesive layer isused, additional fixing can be achieved by the adhesive strip alsobonding at least lightly on the folded edges of the inside pre-products12-14.

If—as shown in FIG. 1—only one single adhesive strip 17 is used for theconnection, it is advantageous when said strip is placed precisely inthe center line 18 of the stack 10. If—as shown in FIG. 2—two adhesivestrips 17 a and 17 b are mounted side by side on the stack edge, thispreferably occurs symmetrically with respect to the center line 18 ofthe stack. In this case, it is advantageous for the stability of thestack when the adhesive strips 17 a and 17 b are placed as wide aspossible apart.

In principle, it would be conceivable to provide further adhesive stripson other edges in addition to one or several adhesive strips 17 or 17 a,b on the stack edge 16, which, however, in the case of the stack 10shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, would cause problems due to the pre-productsbeing of different sizes. Over and above this, the mounting ofadditional lateral adhesive strips requires considerable expenditure onhardware without resulting in decisive advantages. If the stack 10′, asshown in FIG. 3, consists of identically sized pre-products 11′, 15′, itis easier to mount additional adhesive strips on other stack edges.

The exemplary embodiment of FIG. 4, where a stack 10″ with identicallysized pre-products 11″, 15″ is also presupposed, differs from theexemplary embodiments of FIGS. 1-3 in that, in this case, an adhesivestrip 19 is applied on the stack edge 16 in the direction of the edge.This type of arrangement of the adhesive strip 19 produces increasedcohesion in relation to the arrangement from FIG. 1, however it doesmake the precise mounting and subsequent dismantling of the stack 10″difficult. In all cases, however, the adhesive strip 17 or 17 a, b or 19overlaps the two outside pre-products 11, 15 or 11′, 15′ or 11″, 15″.

FIG. 5 shows the top view of different types of connecting elements oradhesive strips which are shown side by side from left to right. Theadhesive strip 17 on the far left has a simple elongated, rectangularform (with a constant width) and is in principle provided with acontinuous adhesive layer. However, it can have adhesive-free ornon-adhesive (e.g. covered on the inside by a foil portion) end portions22 a, 22 b, which are easier to grip when removing the adhesive strip.The next adhesive strip 17′ to the right has the same basic form, buthas a central portion 22 (shaded in grey in FIG. 5), in which there isno adhesive layer. This can prevent the adhesive strip 17′ bondingfixedly to the central pre-products (12-14 in FIG. 1) and thus makingthe dismantling of the stack difficult. A further adhesive strip 17″ inFIG. 5 has a perforation in the center which makes it possible toseparate off the adhesive strip at this position without using any aidsand thus means that it is easier to dismantle the stack bondedtherewith. In the case of particular embodiments, the adhesivecharacteristics of the end portions 22 a, 22 b and/or of the centralportion 22 are preferably varied in a targeted manner.

In particular also in order to optimize the detachment of the adhesivestrip from the outside pre-products, the end portions can have faceregions with more or less adhesive force such that different adhesivecharacteristics can be influenced in a targeted manner. For thispurpose, the adhesive force can decrease continuously from the twolateral edges of the adhesive strip toward the center region or only theoutside edges of the end portions 22 a, 22 b can be realized in astrongly adhesive manner. As the adhesive strips 17 are acted uponbeforehand with tensile force where collections are used, in the case ofpreferred embodiments an easily peelable adhesive can be used whichminimizes or avoids damage to the outside pre-products when peeled offand in this case nevertheless ensures a sufficient frictional connectionwhen the collections are handled.

It is, however, also conceivable for the adhesive strips 49 a, 49 baccording to FIG. 6 to have a width which alters over the length, inparticular a narrowing 50 in a center region. Such a narrowing 50 (FIG.6(b)) can on the one hand save on tape material. On the other hand, acorrespondingly shaped narrowing in place of a perforation can simplifythe subsequent removal of the adhesive strip when the stack is takenapart. If unintentional tearing of the adhesive strip is to be made moredifficult or prevented, it is advantageous to round off outside cornersor edge regions in order to avoid any notch effects linked thereto.

If the adhesive strips are separated off an adhesive tape 20 which isrolled, for example, on a roll (see the 4^(th) and 5^(th) example fromthe left in FIG. 5; see also the adhesive tape toll 51 in FIG. 13), theseparation process can be made easier in contrast by notches 25 orincisions 26 correspondingly provided on the adhesive tape 20. If aperforation 23 is provided in addition, the position of the notches 25or incisions 26 on the adhesive tape 20 has to be matched to theperforation 23 there.

As carrier material the adhesive strips 17, 17′, 17″ or 17 a, b and 19can have a paper or a plastic foil or a plastic film which are providedwith an adhesive layer at least on one side in the provided regions orcompletely (continuously). The plastic foil or the plastic film can betransparent and clear in order to be as inconspicuous as possible on thestack and not to the disturb the overall impression. However, they canalso be colored or for advertising or information purposes can beprovided with an inscription or images. In further applications, theadhesive strips can be used as information carriers. The information canconsist of color or digital codes or, however, can include otheroptically or electronically readable information. It is also conceivableto provide fibrous reinforcements in the adhesive strips, or recessesand punch outs. Along with the possibility of applying said advertisingor information content onto the adhesive strips (print, mechanicalcoding etc.), where the adhesive strips have a multi-layered design theadvertising or information carrier can also be inserted between thelayers. Said insertion of an advertising or information carrier can beundertaken in a permanent manner or also so as to be detachable ortriggerable in a targeted manner.

In addition, as claimed in the invention, the applying, for example, ofcolored codings has the effect of making a composition visually easy torecognize—even from the outside, which supports operating ordistributing personnel in the operating process when handling, inparticular, stacks or stands consisting of a plurality of compositionswhich deviate from one another (in part or completely).

If, according to FIGS. 1-4, an adhesive strip 17, 17 a,b or 19 is bondedaround the stack edge 16 on the outsides of the outside pre-products 11,15 or 11′, 15′ or 11″, 15″, it is possible for the pre-products tobecome damaged, in particular if the surfaces of the pre-products arenot particularly smooth, when the adhesive strip is detached during thedismantling of the stack. In order to avoid this type of damage in areliable manner when detaching the adhesive strips, the outsidepre-products 11, 15, according to FIG. 8, can be provided with aseparating layer 48 prior to the adhesive strips 17 being stuck on, fromwhich separating layer the adhesive strips 17 can be detached or removedin an easy and residue-free manner. These types of separating layers 48can be, for example, self-adhesive plastic foils or films with a smoothsurface. Such systems are known from the area of re-closable bags or thelike.

The forming of the stacks 10 can be effected, according to FIG. 7, suchthat the pre-products 11-15 are pushed or thrown one after the otherwith their folded edge in front into a corresponding (inclined) holder37 in which they abut on the inside against a corresponding angularstrip 38 by way of the folded edges. At the points at which the adhesivestrips 17 are to be subsequently applied, recesses 39, which ensure freeaccess from outside to the corresponding portion of the stack edge, areprovided on the holder 37.

These types of holders 37 can be part of a collating apparatus 40, whichis shown in FIG. 11 and includes a circulating conveying means 41 withcollecting portions or compartments 42 which are arranged one behind theother thereon in the conveying direction and into which pre-products,which are held in each case in a storage shaft 44 in the supplyingconveyors 43, are introduced via corresponding curved tracks 45 oneafter the other from supplying conveyors 43 which are set up at the sideof the conveying means 41. The pre-products to be placed in the stackcan be selected and supplied to the stack by actuating the supplyingconveyors 43 in a corresponding manner. By running around the collectingportions 42 several times, the sequence of the pre-products in the stackcan be changed or a missing printed product supplemented. The finishedcollected stacks are then transferred to a following applicationapparatus (applicator) 46 by means of a further conveying means 41′ andare there provided with the connecting elements or adhesive strips andfinally are output to a stack outlet 47.

FIG. 12 shows a top view from above of the enlarged detail from FIG. 11(oval shown by the dot-dash line) which includes the applicationapparatus or the applicator 46. FIG. 13 shows a side view of differentsteps when applying the adhesive strips in the application apparatus orthe applicator 46 from FIG. 12. In the example shown, the stacks 10 or10′ delivered by the collating apparatus 40 or the conveying means 41′are provided, according to FIG. 2, with two adhesive strips 17 a and 17b which are spaced apart from one another. To this end, in each case acorresponding adhesive tape 20 is rolled off by a predetermined amountfrom a prepared adhesive tape roll 51 (FIG. 13(a)). The rolled-offadhesive tape 20 is guided through between a (driven) roller-shaped,rotating cutting apparatus 53 and an associated counter roller 54,forming together in said embodiment the adhesive tape feed of theapplicator as claimed in the invention, and as a result is movedforward. When the adhesive tape 20 has been rolled off to apredetermined length, the rotating cutting apparatus 53 cuts off acorresponding portion of the adhesive tape 20 at the same time.

The cutting step is coordinated in time with the conveying of the stacks10 or 10′ through the application apparatus 46. The stacks 10, 10′ areconveyed, in FIG. 13 from left to right, initially between two belts ofthe conveying means 41′ and then are transferred to a conveyingapparatus 52 which also has two parallel belts. When the stack 10, 10′conveyed by the conveying apparatus 46 reaches, by way of its (front)stack edge, the adhesive strip 17 held in readiness at right angles withrespect to the conveying direction, said adhesive strip is at the sametime cut off from the adhesive tape 20. The cut-off adhesive strip 17 isthen, as can be seen in FIG. 13(b), entrained by the stack 10′. Twobaffle plates 55, which are arranged above and below the conveying pathof the stacks 10, 10′ and along which the adhesive tape 20 is alsoguided vertically, are responsible through correspondingly curved,inside ends (and where applicable elongated following faces) which actas pressing flanks and influence the side faces of the stacks orcompositions 10, 10′ in a friction-locked manner, for the entrainedadhesive strip 17 abutting against the outsides of the stack in anadhesive manner as the stack 10′ moves between the baffle plates 55(FIGS. 13(b) and (c)). In order to reduce the sliding friction, in thecase of preferred embodiments, the pressing flanks (or pressing faces),which are arranged in a stationary manner, can be antifriction. To thisend, a coating which reduces the sliding friction is used or rollingfaces are used. Between the two baffle plates 55 arranged one above theother there is, for this purpose, a free region which approximatelycorresponds to the height of the compositions or the stack height of thestacks 10, 10′. The baffle plates 55—as other strip-guidingcomponents—can also incidentally have a slightly curved profile at rightangles with respect to the conveying direction in order to stabilize thestrips in form and position during the conveying or the application. Inthis way, the adhesive strips, by way of their non-adhesive side, in apreferred manner follow in the conveying direction the surface lines ofa cylinder which then merges into flat pressing flanks. The stacks 10,10′ provided with the adhesive strips 17 are finally output via thestack outlet 47.

The pressing flanks, however,—similar to the belts of the conveyingapparatus 52—can also be realized as circulating belts which convey thecompositions or stacks 10, 10′ between them and at the same time placethe adhesive strips about the stack edge. However, in place of belts itis also possible to use pairs of rollers which are correspondinglydimensioned, spaced apart and actively convey the compositions or stacks10.

In the exemplary embodiment of the applicator 46 shown in FIG. 13, thelateral pressing faces of the baffle plate 55 are at rest (stationary)whilst the stacks 10, 10′ are being moved or conveyed in relationthereto through the applicator 46. However, it is also conceivable toallow the stacks 10, 10′ to rest (or to move the stacks substantially atright angles with respect to their lateral faces) and to move thepressing faces with the adhesive strip along the stack in order to applythe adhesive strip. For this purpose, the (moved) pressing faces or asan alternative to this also the rolling flanks, in a preferred mannerwith the adhesive strip to be applied, can be pushed in the direction ofthe face of the stacks over the aligned stack edges of the pre-productssuch that the adhesive strip is applied on said edges or on the outsidepre-products.

However, it is also conceivable, according to the schematicrepresentation in FIG. 10, to convey the finished stacks 32 by means ofa conveying apparatus 28, held in clamps 31 or grippers, through a stackconnecting apparatus 27, where they are provided with adhesive strips 17by an application apparatus 33 which rotates synchronously about an axisof rotation 34. The stacks 32, in this case, are held by holdingapparatuses 30, which are provided with clamps 31 and are arranged on acarrier belt 29 at regular spacings one behind the other in theconveying direction. Strip applicators 36, which, by means of acorresponding motion link 35, pick up the prepared adhesive strips 17 ina controlled manner and apply them to the stack edges 16 of the stacks32 guided past, are arranged in the application apparatus 33 runningaround the axis of rotation 34. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, thecollections are suspended with the stack edge 16 suspended freelydownward. The adhesive strips 17, in this case, are applied to the free(suspended) edge which, where required, can also be stabilized by anauxiliary apparatus (e.g. a guide bar which is not shown in any moredetail here or entrained support or clamping elements, such as arepreviously known in the prior art). It is naturally possible, and in thecase of different conditions also particularly preferred, to arrange theapplicator 33 (under some circumstances even laterally or above theconveying apparatus 28) such that the adhesive strips are applied on thetop edges which are held by the clamps 31. Said solution is consequentlyparticularly advantageous because the pre-products of the respectivecollection are already held together or pressed together on the sideheld by the clamps 31 and, as a result, the compression of the stackedges 16 desired for applying the adhesive strips is provided.

In an analogous manner, it is possible to convey the collections suchthat the adhesive strips 17 are applied on a lateral edge.

In addition, it is preferred as claimed in the invention for theapplicator 46 to have at least one pressing face or rolling face(expediently two of them) which is spatially movable in the direction ofthe face of the composition in relation to said composition and isinsertable over an edge of the composition. For this purpose, thecompositions can be stabilized at their lateral faces (for example bybaffle plates or clamps—assigned in a permanent or temporary manner).Analogously to FIG. 10, the pressing or rolling face, coming from below,would be inserted in this way in a corresponding manner (inclinedly)over the suspended compositions. One or several adhesive strips can beapplied on the outside pre-products in this manner in the region of thestack edge which in this case lies below. Obviously, said operation canalso be performed in a simpler manner on (temporarily) stationaryproducts.

Whilst in the case of the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 11, the collatedstacks consisting of the pre-products are provided with the desiredadhesive strips 17 in the following application apparatus 46 directlyafter the collating process, it is also possible to carry out thecollating and the applying of the adhesive strips at differentlocations. As is shown as an example in FIG. 14, in a collatingapparatus 56 in which a plurality of compartments 57 circulate on acirculating track 59 and are guided by means of a guide roller 58, thestacks 10 are collated there and, prior to being guided at the guideroller 58, are taken over by a conveying apparatus 60, which is guidedparallel to the collating apparatus 56 prior to the guide roller 58 and,by means of corresponding grippers 61, removes the collated stacks 10out of the compartments 57 of the collating apparatus 56 and conveysthem along a conveying path 62 to an application apparatus located at adifferent location. A baffle plate 63, in this case, is responsible forguiding the stacks 10 held in the grippers 61.

However, the collating and further conveying of the collated stacks 10can also be realized, according to FIG. 15, by means of one single(circulating) conveying apparatus 64 which has a plurality of inclinedplatforms 67, on each of the bottom ends of which pivotable grippingportions 68 are arranged. On a top run 65 of the conveying apparatus 64,the gripping portions 68 are pivoted back such that the stacks 10 areable to be collated in an unobstructed manner on the platforms 67. Thegripping portions 68 are then pivoted into the closed position and then,in a clamping manner, hold the collated stacks which can be conveyedfurther on the bottom run 66.

In the explanations made up to now, it has been assumed that thecomplete stack or the complete collection has been prepared first of allout of the pre-products in order to be provided then with the connectingelements or adhesive strips. However, another method of operation whichis represented in FIGS. 16 and 17 is also conceivable.

In the case of said method of operation, a type of pocket is formedfirst of all from the subsequent outside pre-products 11 and 15 by thetwo pre-products 11, 15 being stacked with the preferred edges offset bythe spacing A and then themselves being connected together—as shown inFIG. 16—by means of two connecting elements or adhesive strips 17 a and17 b. In dependence on the closing direction of the pocket formed insuch a manner, the adhesive strip 17 a and 17 b surrounds the twooutside pre-products 11 and 15 or connects them in an adhesive mannerfrom their inside such that the further pre-products are able to beinserted into the pocket in a corresponding manner.

According to FIG. 17, the pocked formed in this manner can be opened,the two pre-products 11 and 15 assuming a spacing A with respect to oneanother. The remaining pre-products 12-14 are then able to be insertedinto the pocket opened in such a manner in order to form a finishedstack or a finished collection. The remaining pre-products 12-14 thenabut by way of their preferred edges against the inside of the adhesivestrips 17 a and 17 b. The remaining pre-products 12-14, in this case,can be inserted individually one after the other or in a common bundle.

Finally, FIG. 18 shows a stack as claimed in an exemplary embodiment ofthe invention with an adhesive strip 17, which completely overlaps thetop pre-product of the stack and, by way of a folded end portion, isbonded on an inside of the top pre-product. This type of adhesion canobviously also be realized on the underside of the stack.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method for assembling a stack (10, 10′,10″; 32) consisting of single-layered or multi-layered pre-products(11-15; 11′, 15′; 11″, 15″) that lie freely one on top of the other or acollection consisting of single-layered or multi-layered pre-products(11, 15; 11′, 15′; 11″, 15″) that lie freely side by side, of the sameor a different size, which stack (10, 10′, 10″; 32) or which collectionhas two pre-products (11-15; 11′, 15′; 11″, 15″) lying on the outside,during which method the stack (10, 10′, 10″) or the collection is givena cohesion that facilitates the subsequent handling, comprising thesteps of: preparing in a first step the pre-products (11-15; 11′, 15′;11″, 15″) associated with the stack or with the collection, and mountingin a second step at least one connecting element (17; 17 a, 17 b; 17′;17″; 19; 21; 49 a, 49 b) in such a manner that it overlaps the twooutside pre-products (11, 15; 11′, 15′; 11″, 15″) of the stack (10, 10′,10″; 32) or of the collection in an adhesive manner, and thepre-products (11-15; 11′, 15′; 11″, 15″) of the stack (10, 10′, 10″; 32)or of the collection each have at least one preferred edge, in that thepre-products (11-15; 11′, 15′; 11″, 15″) of the stack (10, 10′, 10″; 32)or of the collection are arranged and aligned in the stack (10, 10′,10″; 32) or in the collection in such a manner that the preferred edgesof the pre-products (11-15; 11′, 15′; 11″, 15″) together form at leastone stack edge (16), and in that said stack edge (16) is used formounting the at least one connecting element (17; 17 a, 17 b; 17′; 17″;19; 21; 49 a, 49 b), and wherein such edges at which the pre-productsare folded and/or stitched and/or glued are taken as the preferred edgesof the two pre-products laying on the outside (11-15; 11′, 15′; 11″,15″), and wherein in the first step the pre-products (11-15; 11′, 15′;11″, 15″) associated with the stack or with the collection are preparedin the form of the stack (10, 10′, 10″) or of the collection, andwherein placing the pre-products (11-15; 11′, 15′; 11″, 15″) one on topof the other or side by side in a predetermined sequence one after theother in a collating apparatus (40, 56), for preparing the stack (10,10′, 10″; 32) to be assembled or the collection to be assembled, andwherein in the application apparatus (46) an adhesive tape (20) isunrolled from an adhesive tape roll (51), an adhesive strip (17) is cutoff the unrolled adhesive tape (20) and the cut adhesive strip (17) ismounted on the stack (10, 10′) guided past or on the collection guidedpast, and wherein the stack (10, 10′) or the collection is conveyedthrough the application apparatus (46) with the selected stack edge (16)in front, and in that the cut adhesive strip (17) is held in readinessat right angles with respect to the conveying direction of the stack(10, 10′) or of the collection with one adhesive side oriented againstthe conveying direction of the stack (10, 10′) or the collection in sucha manner that the stack (10, 10′) or the collection, during itsconveying through the application apparatus (46), contacts the adhesivestrip (17) held in readiness by way of the selected stack edge in thecenter and entrains it.
 2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein atleast one connecting element (17; 17 a, 17 b; 17′; 17″; 19; 21; 49 a, 49b) overlaps the two outside pre-products (11, 15; 11′, 15′; 11″, 15″) ofthe stack (10, 10′, 10″; 32) or of the collection in an adhesive mannerin each case on the outside.
 3. The method as claimed in claim 1,wherein at least one connecting element (17; 17 a, 17 b; 17′; 17″; 19;21; 49 a, 49 b) overlaps the two outside pre-products (11, 15; 11′, 15′;11″, 15″) of the stack (10, 10′, 10″; 32) or of the collection in anadhesive manner in each case on the inside.
 4. The method as claimed inclaim 1, wherein several connecting elements (17; 17 a, 17 b; 49 a, 49b) are mounted longitudinally of the selected stack edge (16) on thestack (10, 10′, 10″; 32) or on the collection overlapping the twooutside pre-products (11, 15; 11′, 15′; 11″, 15″) of the stack (10, 10′,10″; 32) or of the collection.
 5. The method as claimed in claim 1,wherein several connecting elements are mounted on several selectedstack edges on the stack or the collection overlapping the two outsidepre-products of the stack or of the collection.
 6. The method as claimedin claim 1, wherein the adhesive strip (17; 17 a, 17 b; 17′; 17″; 19; 49a, 49 b) is elongated.
 7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein theadhesive strip (17″) includes a perforation (23) in the center whenviewed in the longitudinal direction.
 8. The method as claimed in claim1, wherein to facilitate the separation of the adhesive strip from theadhesive tape (20, 51), the adhesive tape (20) is provided withcorresponding notches (25) or incisions (26) at the separating points.9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the collating apparatus(40, 56), the forming stack or the forming collection is guided past aplurality of supplying conveyors (43) arranged one behind the other,wherein the supplying conveyors (43) supply at least one pre-product ineach case to the stack or the collection.
 10. The method as claimed inclaim 1, wherein guide elements (55), which press the adhesive strip(17) picked up by the stack (10, 10′) or the collection in anoverlapping manner against the two outside pre-products (11, 15; 11′,15′; 11″, 15″) of the stack (10, 10′) or of the collection, are providedin the application apparatus (46).
 11. The method as claimed in claim 1,wherein the stacks (32) or collections are conveyed in a conveyingapparatus (28), held in clamps, through a stack connecting apparatus(27), and in that they are provided in each case with the at least oneconnecting element (17) in the stack connecting apparatus (27).